The use of atomic hydrogen as a propellant, explosive or the like has generated a great deal of interest because of the enormous amount of energy released per unit weight of fuel. For example, it has been estimated that solid atomic hydrogen rocket propellants yield about four times the amount of energy released by the combustion of the best currently available rocket propellants. These energies are liberated as a result of the reaction H + H .fwdarw. H.sub.2, this reaction releasing energies on the order of 51,500 calories per gram as compared with 3,180 calories per gram for the reaction H.sub.2 + 1/2 O.sub.2 .fwdarw. H.sub.2 O.
Because of the highly reactive nature thereof, the storage of atomic hydrogen in high concentrations presents very serious problems. Although laboratory tests indicate that small amounts of atomic hydrogen can be stored at low temperatures on substrates, the single surfaces provided by such substrates do not permit a large amount of atomic hydrogen to be collected in a small volume. One proposed solution to the problem of storing atomic hydrogen in high concentrations is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,351 (Null et al) wherein a solid state monolayer of molecular hydrogen is deposited on a solid metal surface and a solid state monolayer of atomic hydrogen is subsequently deposited in the potential wells of the molecular hydrogen. The surface is maintained at the liquid temperature of helium (4.2.degree. K) and the solid molecular-atomic layer of hydrogen is scraped off as a solid matrix product before it is thick enough to impede the escape of heat to the metal surface. Reference is made to the Null et al patent for further details of this approach as well as a background discussion of the general problem and other prior art solutions.